Capture the Chameleon
by TheCovertGirl
Summary: When a CoveOps mission goes wrong and Cammie is taken with the Gallagher Academy's most prized possession, how will she escape and survive? Who can she trust when everyone around her has kept secrets and lied to her? Based in the timeframe of OGSY. AU-ish
1. Caught in a Mission

**A/N: Random idea is random. I didn't find anything like what this story's about, so I thought I'd write this. Please review! :3**

**Disclaimer: Ally Carter owns the characters (obviously, this is the place for Gallagher Girls fan-fiction!)**

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><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

"Jump."

That was the last thing I heard before everything went dark. Footsteps were approaching me from all directions and it looked like there was no way out. At the last second, I dashed through the fifth-storey window (I know it sounds weird, but it was my only way out). As I began to free-fall into the busy city streets, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a window – dirty blonde hair, green/blue eyes – I was in one word, average. The perfect pavement artist. I had a face you could forget if you saw me walking in town – not that I'd even get the chance to freely move outside of school grounds. The thought of being out of school reminded me of Josh. He saw me when others didn't; he remembered me when others forgot. I had to push that thought from my mind or I would hit the road below.

When I fell past the third floor, I unlatched the rappelling gun from my belt and aimed at the building opposite me. I shot it and the cord sliced through the air, the hook finally catching on a balcony. Using all my momentum, I swung into the apartment below the balcony – spraying glass shards everywhere. As expected, the room was completely empty apart from a simple wooden chair. A shadow flickered from it in the street lights, moving carefully towards me. A crackle of static exploded in my comms unit and I knew instantly what the figure in front of me had done. I flicked the light switch on the far wall as planned, revealing a person holding a signal jammer and the most prized possession of the Gallagher Academy – the sword Gillian Gallagher had used to kill Ioseph Cavan, the man who tried to kill Lincoln. As my eyes fully focused in the bright light, I was shocked to see who the person holding the sword was – Zachary Goode.

"Hey Gallagher Girl, I think I found a flaw in your security system." he said, waving the blade around him in a precise manner. The intricate patterns he drew in the air told me he was trained in sword combat and trying to fight him would lead to near fatal injuries.

"Put it down Zach," I warned, "You don't want to damage it, do you?"

I stepped forward, closing the space between us. He stopped swinging the sword around and looked me in the eye, smirking with his I-know-something-you-don't smirk.

"And what if I don't?"

I opened my mouth to answer but at that moment, Bex kicked down the door and slapped a Napotine patch on his neck. He crumpled to the floor, letting the sword clatter on the ground. I walked to where it had dropped, picked it up and slid it in the leather sheath I had attached to my utility belt. Crouching down, I took the jammer from Zach's hand and disabled it. Immediately, my comms unit burst into life with Liz's voice shouting hysterically at the lack of communication from both Bex and I. She sounded worried about our safety, but I silenced her when I announced, "Target is neutralized. The item is secure."

Bex picked up Zach's unconscious body and skipped out of the room, smiling as she said, "I'm bringing the target with me. The interrogation's going to be good!"

"Well done, Chameleon and Duchess. Now get back to base and we ca-" She was cut short as the comms unit was ripped from my ear, leaving me isolated from my team.

A familiar looking man grabbed me by the waist and started to walk towards the broken glass door. I tried to scream, but a gag was tied quickly in my mouth. A helicopter was quickly approaching – the door opening in mid-flight. I was thrown in, landing on my side at the feet of my ex-CoveOps teacher, Joe Solomon.


	2. A Quiet Ride to Nowhere

**A/N: So sorry that this is short. I've had too much homework to do for the past week. Hopefully I can write faster since the Easter holidays are in 2 weeks! Plus, it's great to see lots of people have subbed to this story - it means a lot to me. ^_^ Now, enjoy chapter 2!**

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><p>The door behind me slid shut with a thud. Someone span me round and pulled my wrists behind my back and I could feel the rough material of rope being tied on my wrists. I peered over my left shoulder to see Mr Solomon. He looked like he tried to put up a fight that night. He had a split lip and black eye, but I guess whoever he was fighting got the upper hand. I sat up and looked at my kidnappers. The one who had taken me was the man I had been pursued by when I was retrieving the sword. He was just another one of the men hired to get me. There was another person in the cramped helicopter cabin – she was staring out the window into the darkness that lay ahead. Red hair framed a face as pale as a china plate – the moonlight making her eyes a deep shade of green. She was the woman I had escaped from during the convention in Boston eight months ago.<p>

Since then, everything changed – two months ago Joe Solomon was deemed a traitor, Edward Townsend replaced him as the CoveOps teacher and the whole of the Gallagher Academy went into lock-down after the theft of Gilly's sword (we had been searching for three days when we received a tip-off from Zach himself). I should've known he was bait to catch me – everything was just too easy. I wanted to slap myself for falling for the oldest trick in the book. He was in contact with Solomon from the day he came to stay at the academy – he was a male version of a honeypot. One thing didn't fit with this theory though. Why was Mr Solomon beaten up if he was in alliance with the people around me?

I felt the slow descent of the helicopter and began to get up, knowing we'd be landing in eight point three seconds. The hired goon immediately kicked me in the stomach and I doubled over in pain.

"Don't hurt her!" exclaimed the woman and Mr Solomon, the latter being more concerned for my safety.

The woman helped me up and and everyone stood up silently. Suddenly, the doors were forced open and I was grabbed by two men. A black hood was shoved onto my head and I was throw into a van (or so I'm guessing). I heard another body hitting the metal beside me and a familiar groan came from them – the last time I heard that was when my then-boyfriend almost killed him with a forklift truck. When the engine started up, I pulled the hood off and looked around – a move that I instantly regretted. The woman from the helicopter was crouching beside me with a cloth and a bottle. The next thing I knew, I was tied to a chair in an empty room.


	3. Tied to my Teacher

**A/N: Chapter 3 is finally up! It would've been out faster, but my internet died. T-T Read and review for more!**

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><p>"I see you're awake now."<p>

I flinched when I heard Mr Solomon's voice. I strained my neck to see him tied to a chair behind me, struggling with the tight ropes.

"You're a traitor!" I spat, angry at how he betrayed my trust. He was a family friend and he stabbed us all in the back.

"Cammie, you've got it wrong. I'm not a-"

"I trusted you," I whispered, biting back tears, "and you left us for the Circle!"

He sighed and said, "Cammie, please listen to me. I know I've been declared a traitor by the AlphaNet, but they're wrong. What I did in the past has nothing to do with how I am now."

Hearing what he said, I believed him. I know I shouldn't have, but it sounded so convincing. I should've dissected every word he said, but I didn't.

"What do I have to do?" I asked cautiously, knowing that he had a plan to escape.

"We're tied together. The main knot is on your left side. Undo it and we are both free." he instructed, reminding me of how he used to teach.

He was right (as usual), but I couldn't stop myself wondering how he knew where it was - was he awake when the people tied us up or was this just a giant ploy for the Circle? I stopped and said, "How do you know?"

"Just trust me!" he yelled, he anger rising in his voice. He breathed out and calmly said, "You're a spy. At least pretend that you trust me."

When I started to untie the rope again, Mr Solomon smiled, "You really are like your father. Always stubborn, but gets on with what he's told." The nostalgia faded away and he stopped talking.

After seven minutes and forty-two seconds, I tried to undo the last part of the knot for the twenty-third time. "I can't do this!" I groaned, letting my bloody hand drop back to my side. It was harder than it should've been - the hand I was using was handcuffed to Mr Solomon (good or bad thing?)

**Pros and cons of being tied to your ex-CoveOps teacher:**

PRO: He knows how to escape.

CON: He's a rogue agent and the ones he's working with have kidnapped me.

PRO: He's THE Joe Solomon.

CON: This could be a giant act to get me to trust the Circle.

PRO: If I get out alive, I deserve extra credit for CoveOps.

"Mr Solomon-"

"I'm not your teacher anymore. You can call me Joe." he interrupted.

"I'd rather not." I said, thinking about how weird it would be to call him that.

I also couldn't stop wondering if Liz and Bex knew I was gone. I must've been gone for at least a day now. But I'm the Chameleon. Nobody really notices that I've disappeared.

"Well, it's your decision. I can't make you change your mind," he chimed cheerfully, a smiled growing on his lips, "unless I had some sort of weapon on me. One that could cut these ropes."

After he said this, my eyes widened, "You don't, do you?" my voice barely above a whisper.

He laughed quietly under his breath and said, "Didn't you notice it earlier? You're getting sloppy. Townsend mustn't be as good as I remember."


	4. Cut Free

**A/N: Thanks for all the support so far! It's amazing to know that people are actually reading my fan fiction. Plus, this keeps me distracted until I can read GG5 (it's not out in the UK for a month!) Now read chapter 4!**

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><p>"Forget him, he's the one assigned to get you. Where's the knife?"<p>

"Back pocket. Right side. It's within reach," When I didn't respond (out of pure bewilderment, by the way), he quickly added, "I would get it myself, but I think my arm is dislocated." At that moment, his shoulder made a sickly popping sound.

I grasped blindly for the handle, trying not to be so embarrassed. I was in a hostage situation and all I could do was be awkward. I felt the blade's cool handle in the palm of my hand and pulled it carefully towards me.

It was a small butterfly knife the size of my hand. I flipped the latch on the bottom and revealed a steel blade the length of my index finger - an intricate pattern etched into the metal. What stood out the most was the emblem engraved in the handle - the same emblem on the woman's ring in Boston. The ring I had drawn for my mom and my friends and tried to research - the emblem of the Circle of Cavan.

"So it was true," I mumbled, not really asking the question. I knew the answer from the start; an answer wasn't needed.

"Cammie, just cut the rope," demanded Solomon, "I'll try to explain everything when we're out of here."

I gripped the knife tightly and slashed the knot free - the knife at an odd angle in my hand. Dropping the knife, I wrestled free from the frayed mess - pulling Mr Solomon up with me. He winced in pain, but carried on with the plan he created.

"We're untied now, but there's still the problem with being handcuffed together," he stated, waving one of his arms in the air and shining the cuff in the dull light. "Do you have a hair pin?"

Without hesitation, I swiftly pulled out a pin and began to pick the lock. The tumbler clicked and the handcuff fell to the floor. My wrist felt raw in the damp air and the blood began to flow through my arm again. Mr Solomon quickly relocated his shoulder and rubbed it. I looked at the other cuff and let my arm drop back to my side.

"Aren't you going to unlock this one?" he asked, growing impatient at the sudden lack of progress in escaping. "Or are you just going to question me now?"

"I-I can't. This is different - there's no keyhole." I stuttered, confused as to how it was even possible to use these handcuffs.

Mr Solomon examined it thoroughly and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "This is a top secret prototype that's being developed by the CIA. I don't know how they got their hands on this or how to break out of it. I guess we're stuck like this until we figure out a way to unlock it."

He picked up the knife from the ground and flipped it closed in one fluid motion. After that, he then returned it to his pocket. "Are you going to explain now?" I questioned.

"No, not yet," he smiled, irritating me with how mysterious he was acting.

He turned to the side of the room I'd been facing, pointed to a broken ceiling tile halfway across the empty room and said, "There's our way out."


	5. A Surprise Appearance

**A/N: This chapter was probably my favourite to write - so much happening in the story! I know my chapters are a bit short, but the next one will definitely be over 1000 words long. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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><p><strong>Solomon's POV<strong>

Looking around the room, I knew the Circle were watching us somehow. I was trained by them to spot these kind of things. And to kill. Things were too precise to be untidy - the stained tiles on the ceiling revealed a broken air duct. It was either a trap or just pure luck on our part. I glanced at Cammie and tried to gauge her reaction - the idea of escape had played in her mind, but knowing the solution was in plain sight agitated her.

"Ready?" I asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied, pulling one of the chairs towards the spot I pointed to. I stood on the chair and pushed the tile away with my free hand, throwing dust everywhere. Breaking off a rusted part of the air duct, I jumped pulled myself up with my free hand (my other arm was still out of the vent and reaching towards Cammie).

"Can I get a lift up?" she asked quietly, standing on her tiptoes and reaching up towards the vent.

I leaned over the open ventilation shaft and held her hand, being careful not to fall down. She grabbed onto the space where the ceiling tile used to occupy and swung up, landing gracefully to my side. When we were both off the ground, we stood up - my head scraping the top of the disused air vent (Cammie, on the other hand, was perfectly fine in the cramped space).

"Where to now, Joe?" she said, a smile growing on her lips, "What? A deal's a deal. You had that knife to cut us free and I didn't believe you did. That means I have to call you Joe unless you become my teacher again." _Classic Matt_, I thought,_ she's becoming more like him every minute. If only he could see her now, he'd be so proud._

"Who knows?" I replied, answering the question she asked before she explained the 'Joe' thing, "We're in an air vent - you can work it out from there."

She looked at me quizzically and thought about what to do next, tilting her head to the side. For a few seconds, everything was quiet, except . Her face lit up as she figured out a solution to our problem, "We follow the sound of the voices." she declared with a large grin, dragging me through the duct.

It took a while to work our way through the maze of metal, but when we reached the source of the voices I froze. Cammie knew something was wrong as well. She backed into me and the look on her face told me she remembered the voice - a woman's voice as smooth as velvet, yet as deadly as poison. Mrs Catherine Goode.

I signalled to Cammie to stay silent. I slid onto my stomach and pressed my ear against the vent - listening to the quiet meeting that was happening right below us. Low murmurs waved through the room, but one voice spoke clearly in the din.

"Is she here now?" they asked, their voice full of hope. I knew the voice too well. _No, it can't be_, I thought,_ they can't be here. It's impossible!_

"She's in the holding cell with a certain, how shall I put this, familiar agent of ours," replied Catherine slyly.

"What is it?" Cammie mouthed, not knowing the importance of everything that was happening below us. She pleaded with me with her dark blue eyes, begging me to answer her. In the darkness of the air-duct, I could almost mistake her as Abby - the curiosity and innocence on her face burning away at me.

I looked away - not able to tell her the truth of the matter. How could I be the one to inform her about the one thing that's important to her? I couldn't keep another secret from her, not one this big at least. If I told her this, would she even believe me? No matter what the answer to that question was, she'd need to know this vital pice of information. I turned back to face her and crouched to be on her level. Anticipating that my next few words would be big, she pushed her hair away from her face nervously, twirling it around her fingers.

Breathing in deeply, I whispered in her ear, "Cammie, your father, Matthew Morgan, is alive."


	6. Shock and Suffering

**A/N: There's only about three chapters left after this! I'm going to start writing another fan fic, but I don't know what about. If you have any ideas, feel free to tell me! Remember to review and stuff! ^_^**

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><p><strong>Cammie's POV<strong>

"Cammie, your father, Matthew Morgan, is alive." The words echoed in my mind - the power of those few words making my situation turn on its head. How could he be alive? I've lived half my life without him thinking he was dead. My own mother believes he died. I made him look directly at me and repeat it, "Cammie, your dad is alive." he said again, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Lies." I whispered, trying to keep my voice quiet, "He died on a mission - he died because of you!"

"I'm telling you the truth." he started, "The whole truth. Now." He pulled a small notebook from his pocket, passing it to me on an open page, "I was recruited by the Circle of Cavan at the age of sixteen, I've tried to assassinate the Pope, your dad found out and we tried to stop the Circle together." He pointed to a part of the journal that suddenly changed handwriting,"The last mission he went on - he did it to protect me. He disappeared on that mission." I skimmed through the whole notebook, trying to process what he was saying. None of this can be true, could it?

Mr Solomon put his hands on my shoulders and made me look at him, "Your dad is on the floor below us. He's alive, Cammie." The truth. He told the truth. The sudden realisation of knowing the one I loved was alive was too much. I wrapped my arms tightly around Mr Solomon and cried silently - my tears spilling onto his shirt. Everything was happening so quickly; my whole life was shifting right before my eyes.

**A list of life-changing things that's happened over the past 72 hours**

**By Operative Cameron Morgan**

1. I found Zachary Goode with Gillian Gallagher's sword - the Gallagher Academy's most prized possession.

2. I was kidnapped with said sword.

3. I now know that Joe Solomon is not a double agent - more like a triple agent working against the Circle.

4. My father (who I had presumed dead for the past few years) is alive and within ten feet of me.

5. Joe Solomon was the closest thing I had to a dad before I knew my real one was alive.

"It's okay, Cammie," he soothed, stroking my messy blonde hair, "we can save your dad from the Circle now. This is your chance to get your father back. It'll be okay, just calm down." He eased me off his shoulder and wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb, "I believe in you Cammie - you can do this." he said, his warm smile lifting my spirits slightly.

For the first time in days, I felt optimistic about the situation I was in. Here I was escaping from the cult out to get me and my dad was speaking with the leader of the Circle. Here I was with my ex-CoveOps teacher in a classic exfiltration attempt (if I don't get some kind of extra credit for this, I'll physically explode). The last of my tears fell and I stepped away from Solomon. I closed my eyes and mentally prepared myself for the task at hand - getting my dad back.

Still attached to Joe (it's much faster to write in this report), we walked forward a few feet, closer to the source of the voices. In the darkness, we located a grid which led us into the meeting room below. Scanning the packed room, I absorbed every small detail - the position of each of the seventeen guards, the distance between the door, dad and I and the keys hanging from Mrs Goode's belt (two keys and a keycard - one for the main door, one for another door and the keycard for the handcuffs).

I pointed to the keys and Joe understood. We counted down silently from three, then burst through the grate. Immediately, two guards pounced on us and grabbed me by the arms. I head-butted one in the face and he let me go - clutching his nose in agony. With one man still holding onto my arm, Joe landed a roundhouse kick to their head - knocking them unconscious in an instant. The other guards converged into the spot we were at, fists flying in all directions. I rammed my elbow into the stomach of a woman and punched another man in the face. One guard landed a kick to my jaw - spilling blood on his shoe. Joe had drawn his knife and the remaining guards dispersed. We both turned to see Mrs Goode holding a gun to dad's head, her left arm locked around his neck.

"Take one more step and your daddy will really be dead this time." she said in a patronising tone, clicking the safety lock off the gun, "You don't want that to happen now, do you? You haven't seen each other for nine years, this wasn't how you expected to be reunited, was it?" Her voice was steady, but grew menacing with each passing second.

"Let him go, Catherine" Joe warned, "If anything happens to him, you won't get what you want from Cammie." He held out his hand and said, "Give me the keycard now. We don't want any conflict."

She glared at him and smirked. "Fine then, break the only thing keeping her safe from me." She tossed the card in the air and Joe caught it easily. He swiped it in a small groove I had only noticed and the handcuffs fell on the ground, reminding me of the situation we were in just two hours ago. He grabbed my hand, then lunged at Mrs Goode - throwing the knife he had at her. It narrowly missed her shoulder and after that, time felt like it slowed down. Everything went by in slow motion.

Mrs Goode pulled the trigger. A loud bang echoed in the underground meeting room and the bullet hit its target. Dad collapsed. She threw the gun onto the floor and escaped through a hidden passage - disappearing completely. Joe let go of my hand and rushed to dad's side, trying to wake him but to no avail. I stood there, stunned - unable to speak. I thought about the last time I saw someone get shot for me. Abby. I remembered the way she lay motionless in a pool of blood on the road, the screaming around me. But this was different. All around me was silence - an empty feeling taking over my emotions. I walked stiffly to the body that lay on the white carpet now stained a deep shade of red. Falling to my knees, I saw pale his face - the same face I had seen last when I was seven years old and never forgot.

By this point, tear were rolling down my cheeks quickly. The memories I had of him flooded back into my mind. The look on his face when I broke the Sapphire series code he brought home from work, the smile he had in the photo he was in with Mr Solomon, the day he said he'd be back soon, but never did. Trying to hold back the tears wasn't even an option. I clasped my warm hand in his and kissed it, quietly whispering, "Daddy?"


	7. Life or Death

**A/N: From the reviews, it looks like people love Matthew Morgan! It's awesome to get feedback from you guys, so keep it coming!**

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><p>"No. Daddy, please. No!" I cried hysterically, "You can't die! I only just got you back." My voice faded into silence when there was no reply. I turned to face Joe and shouted, "This was your fault! If you didn't try to be the hero and throw the knife, dad wouldn't be dead!" I was angry, upset and a whole load of other emotions. Most of all, I was heartbroken. How many people have to be killed or injured before the Circle gets what they want from me?<p>

I couldn't look at him anymore. I ran through an open door that led to a dark hallway at sat there alone, tears trickling down my face. Here I could think. Here I could take off the cover I always wear and be the teenage girl that I was. Slowly, my tears dried out, leaving me tired and worn out, my face hurting from the fight. I passed out.

After what felt like a day, I woke up in a brightly lit room - in a bed and in my pyjamas. _Not again_, I thought, _why do I always end up waking in a mysterious room in my pyjamas?_ Joe walked in with a grim expression on his face, followed by my mom. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was wearing one of dad's old jumpers. I tried to say something, but my whole head felt numb.

"Honey, your jaw was broken when you were kicked in the face. Don't try to speak." she said, walking to the side of my bed and sitting down next to me. "I know what happened to you was hard - Joe told me what happened. Everything that happened." She could see how much I struggled with being silent, so she gave me a pad of paper and a pen.

As I wrote, Joe started talking. "In case you were wondering, Gilly's sword has been obtained and is back at school." He looked at me with the same expression he had in the air vents, right before we broke into the meeting room. I lifted the pad up to ask my first question, "Where am I?"

"We're in a CIA safe-house on the border of Oklahoma. This was the closest government-owned place from the Circle's base." answered mom, "When Joe called, I came here as soon as I could. Your jaw was swollen badly and you were screaming in pain when you tried to ask where we were taking you. Not that you'd remember - we had to drug you to decrease the amount of swelling on the right side of your face." She continued to speak, but I only focused on writing my next question. When I lifted the pad, she went silent, "Dad?"

Joe leant on the wall and said, "Matt was shot in the chest. The bullet narrowly missed his heart and the main arteries. It's a miracle that nothing vital was damaged." He was saying that my dad was alive. _He's alive!_ I jumped out of bed and hugged him tightly with a lopsided grin and he hugged me back, taken aback at the speed I moved. The moment passed and he became serious again. "The bad news is that he lost a lot of blood in the shooting and the bullet removal takes time. It's a 50/50 chance of surviving."

I sat back in despair and mom stroked my normal cheek, "He'll pull through, kiddo. You know he will." Her optimism was rubbing off on me, I believed what she told me. Sometimes it's good to have a spy as a parent - they tell the best lies. She kissed me on the forehead and said, "I think you should get some rest, your father's operation is in a few hours. We'll wake you when it's over." With that, she left the room, leaving me alone with Joe.

"Cammie, I feel so guilty for what's happened. I shouldn't have thrown the knife. You were right." he said, sitting on the same spot my mom was on before, "I'm sorry." His eyes were glistening, tears beginning to form. "You forgive me, right?" I nodded in approval and he looked marginally happier, "That means a lot coming from you." He got up and opened the door, pausing to say, "You're probably the only reason why I stayed to teach at Gallagher. You're like a daughter to me." After leaving me with that comment, he walked out.

I settled back down into the bed and almost slept. Almost. Something prevented me from sleeping - three somethings. Knocking at the window from he inside of a bush was Bex, Liz and Macey - all decked out in camouflage and spy gear. I stepped out of bed and opened the window, trying to be silent. "What are you doing here?" I managed to say without dribbling too much (note to self: having a numb face is a bad idea when talking to friends).

"We came to see you!" announced Liz, her blonde curls bobbing up and down.

"Shh!" hushed Macey, "We're not supposed to let Mr Solomon and Ms Morgan know we snuck out of school grounds!"

"Sorry!" squeaked Liz, "Anyway, what happened? Where did you disappear to? What happened to your face? Why did your mom rush here when she got a note during her speech in the Grand Hall?"

I was being bombarded with questions, so I grabbed the paper and pen lying on the side table and wrote all the answers out - the main ones being 'The Circle' and 'Dad'. When they saw what I wrote, they began to repeat sympathetic things to me. I started to explain that it was alright (for spies, they're a bit slow to understand that dad's alive), but I heard footsteps approaching my room and signalled to my friends to duck back down. I closed the window and jumped into bed in less than three seconds. The door opened and mom walked in with some food. I didn't realised until then that I hadn't eaten for a few days and I suddenly felt starving.

"Hey kiddo, I brought you something to eat. Thought you'd be hungry since you and Joe had to go through so much together. Oh, and don't worry, I didn't make them." she put down the tray of waffles and I stuffed my mouth instantly, glancing over mom's shoulder to see the shocked faces of my friends. Of course, they'd want to hear every single detail of what happened and Liz would do some kind of equation to figure out how long I was handcuffed to Joe for. Right before I finished eating, mom smiled and said, "Why don't we let your friends in? They spent their time tailing me and now they're just sitting in a bush." She turned around to see three red-faced girls smiling weakly and waving. "You should be happy that you have such good friends. Especially ones that risk losing their privileges for you."


	8. Painful to Hear

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, I've been doing major things in school like choosing what subjects I'll do for the next two years and exams. Plus, GG5 came five days early for me! WOOOO!**

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><p><strong>Solomon's POV<strong>

As I stepped out of the shower, I heard a shuffling sound outside my door. I quickly pulled on a black t-shirt and khaki shorts and opened the door silently, seeing three girls entering the room opposite. Bex, Liz and Macey - the best allies a teenage spy could have. I grabbed a towel and began to dry my hair, walking through into Cammie's room. Everyone turned to look at me, Rachel trying to ignore the fact that my shirt was figure-hugging (she couldn't though, I could tell).

"So ladies, what brings you to the Oklahoma-Arkansas border at three in the morning?" I asked with a smirk, "I don't suppose it has anything to do with Cammie escaping from the Circle with me or the fact that the one and only Matthew Morgan is alive. Oh, and before you start accusing me, I did work for the Circle but I've been trying to take it down for the past twenty-five years." The uproar that ensued was enough to make me back away slowly. I stepped out of the room without anyone noticing - they needed the time to process all the information I told them. Rachel followed me out and we went into a room to talk.

"Did you really have to tell all them that?"she whispered, "They only came to see Cammie - things are still on a need-to-know basis and they don't have a clearance level high enough." Closing the door behind her, she sat on the edge of the unused bed and looked up at me. "Do you think Matt will make it?" she asked, genuinely worried, "We're going to have to take him to Langley when he recovers."

"Have faith in him. He's survived for nine years without being found by anyone. He can survive an operation and an interview." I sat next to her and put my arm around her. "This was quite a shock to you, wasn't it?"

"I thought he was dead. I never forgot about him and now he's suddenly alive." admitted Rachel.

"Then what's the problem?" I questioned, sensing another reason for her uncertainty. She turned her head towards me and smiled meekly.

"The problem is that I fell in love with someone else in the time he was gone." she said, leaning on my shoulder and entwining her fingers with mine. I was silenced by her statement and how open she was with me. _She was talking about me._

"Rachel," I sighed, "You're with Matt. Don't think like this. Please."

"I spent so long without him - I never doubted his 'death' at all," she blurted out loud, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. "Remember last year on Matt's birthday?"

"Yes," I answered warily, the pieces slowly clicking together in my mind, "We went to the dance in Roseville and Cammie, Liz, Bex and Macey were there along with Cammie's ex-boyfriend, Josh. It was the first time in ages that I saw you have fun."

"You were there for me when my own daughter wasn't. I can never forget that, you know?" She got up before I could answer, opening the door and saying, "No matter what, I know you'll be by my side." On that note, she closed the door and left me alone to think.

That was one thing I had been doing a lot of over the past few days: thinking. Thinking about how to escape the room, thinking about how to save Cammie and her father and now this. _The Morgan's had me involved in every aspect of their family_, I thought to myself, _a girl who's like a daughter to me, my best friend and his wife who fell in love with me when she thought he was dead_.

I rubbed my face in exhaustion - trying to keep myself awake. The next few hours could mean the second death of my best friend or the biggest spy story to hit Langley since, well, his mysterious disappearance in the first place. Lying down on the bed, I yawned, my mind submitting to sleep.

**Cammie's POV**

When my friends burst through the door, I smiled (well, kinda smiled) at how over-prepared they were. They were fully kitted out in the essentials - black clothes, utility belts, a laptop and bag containing questionable (and slightly illegal) items which I'd rather not list. Did they think they had to break me out of prison or something?

"Cammie!" they cried in unison, crowding round me to hug/suffocate me.

"Ahem." Standing in the doorway was Joe - drying his dark hair. He had just come out of the shower by the looks of things and he wasn't surprised to see three students in a CIA safe-house.

Everyone turned to look at him and Bex, Liz and Macey said, "Oh my God." I didn't know who to feel embarrassed for - my friends because of how they reacted to seeing a good looking teacher in shorts or the good looking teacher for wearing a shirt that made mom blush.

He quickly updated the girls on our recent 'adventure' and walked off silently. Mom shook her head and followed him out, walking into a room together. We looked at each other in bewilderment and raced to the room they entered - Bex jumping out of the window and climbing the drainpipe to listen from the outside. What I heard from their talk shattered my heart.

**Transcript of what Operative Morgan could hear through of Joe Solomon and Rachel Morgan's conversation - NB: a CIA safe-house has soundproofed everything.**

Joe: ...a shock...wasn't it?  
>Rachel: ...he was dead...<br>Joe: ...problem?

The next part of their secret talk was reported by Operative Sutton through bugs planted in each room (I won't even ask how she did that) and the following actions were seen (and re-seen through hidden cameras - again, won't ask) by Operative Baxter.

Rachel: I fell in love with someone else in the time he was gone. [carefully holds Joe's hand and leans on shoulder]

At that point, I walked back to my room and curled into bed, not wanting to hear whatever happened next. My best friends came immediately, abandoning the mission. The faint sound of a door clicking shut made me become alert. Being the spy that I was trained so hard to be, I hid my emotions and smiled when mom walked in. Sometimes I think that's the one thing she can't do - she can't see when I'm hiding behind another cover, another legend. Because sometimes, even I can't tell the real Cameron Ann Morgan from a made-up character in a fairy tale story. Spies are taught to lie to everyone, even if it hurts.

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><p><strong>AN: Almost at the end of this story - just two chapters left (I can't stop writing)! Hope you've enjoyed this part and I'll be uploading the next chapter in a day or so.**


	9. Waiting

**A/N: From this chapter, you can tell I've read GG5 already. That's all I can say for now. Read and review! :3**

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><p>"Everyone up to speed on what's happened?" asked mom in a slightly upset tone. I wanted to know why she wasn't happy, but I couldn't forget what she said.<p>

"Oh, we're definitely up to speed." laughed Macey, smirking at the confused look mom had. Bex glanced my way and gave me that let's-keep-this-secret-until-it's-necessary-to-tell look (something we've had to use on many occasions). I shook my head, not being able to find out the truth from mom now would destroy me.

"Mom?" I began, unsure of what exactly I was going to say.

"Yes kiddo?"

"W-why-" I stuttered, the words unable to form.

"She wants to ask why Zach isn't here." interrupted Bex, hiding the fact that I was about to cry from what we heard her say earlier.

"That's an easy one. He's still under interrogation at school and we're testing out Liz's truth serum. The results tend to show that high doses work best, but the victim ends up with a terrible hangover-like effect. We told him you were kidnapped and he lashed out at us for letting it happen."

"Okay, that's nice to know. What I really wanted to ask was wh-" I tried again.

"She wants to know why the Circle wants her!" cried Liz.

Mom paused and paced around the room, think of how to answer. "I really don't know. We think it may be to do with something that happened when you were younger. Perhaps it's to do with what she's seen or heard. I can't give you a real reason. Sorry."

"CAN I ASK MY ACTUAL QUESTION NOW?" I screamed at my friends, stunning them into silence. I rubbed my jaw and sighed,_ My friends are way too protective of me_.

"If that's what you want, go ahead." said Macey plainly, "No-one can stop you asking forever."

I breathed in and leaned back into bed. "Mom, why did you tell Joe you loved him?"

Her face went a deep shade of red and she came to my side, stroking my hair. "I had to live nine years of my life thinking my husband was dead. To be honest, I never thought I'd see your father again; I gave up hope and moved on. Joe was there when you weren't - you saw us at the dance in Roseville on your dad's birthday."

I did remember. I lied to her and went off with Josh. When I came back, she was crying in her office. "I'm still so sorry for forgetting," I spoke softly, "but dad's alive now!"

"I know. I do love him still. I promise you that nothing has happened between Joe and I. He's been the closest friend I've had in years. Plus, Abby kinda called dibs on him when she kissed him." On that last sentence, Joe froze in mid-step in the hallway - the phone in his hand dropping to the floor. He quickly regained his composure and picked it up, slipping it into his pocket. He strode in and said, "They've finished the operation. Matt's in the infirmary at Langley."

I looked down at what I was wearing and cleared my throat. "I'll be waiting in the private jet. For once I didn't 'borrow' our transport." he chuckled. He left and I changed into some jeans and a sweater, rushing to see dad. I dashed out of the house and saw what we were going to be flying in. It was a Gallagher Academy private jet (since when did we ever own planes?). Running up the steps, I could see where we were. Surrounding the area was dense woodlands - no signs of human life for miles._ A good place to hide a kidnapped __person_.

When I entered the cabin, I was surprised to see an MI6 agent sitting in a seat. Especially one that was my CoveOps teacher. "Townsend." I greeted courteously (Madame Dabney would've been proud).

"Cammie!" I took my eyes off him to see Aunt Abby sat next to him, well she was until she got up to crush me in her arms. She glanced at my jaw and got her bag, pulling out a pot of cream and opening the lid. "Use it. It reduces the swelling drastically and speeds up the healing process - it'll probably still hurt a bit, but it makes you prettier." I didn't know whether to feel glad that she was helping me or offended from that last comment. "Too slow, squirt. I'll have to do this now. Try not to scream that much." she grinned manically and applied the thick cream.

"It's not that ba- JESUS CHRIST!" I clutched my face in pain and staggered forward, tripping up. Townsend caught me as I almost fell face-first onto the floor and gave Abby a stern look.

She innocently asked, "What? I did warn her." She sat back down, smiled at his annoyance and said, "You know you love me really."

"Not likely," he scoffed, his piercing blue eyes looking directly at her, "We may have known each other since that incident, but in no way do I like you." The lies of a good spy. "I must say that you're an excellent field agent though. That I can give you credit for."

"Oh, Eddie, you do know your way into a girl's heart." She laughed and everyone entered the jet. "Rachel, you really let three students tail you all the way here?"

"Actually, I got into her car when she left the school. Bex and Liz borrowed my car to tail her." Macey stated, making Abby laugh even harder.

"You got in her car? Oh jeez, this is too funny." Abby always knew how to lighten the mood in any occasion.

"This is your pilot for today speaking. Please may everyone take their seats and stop laughing at Rachel's misfortune." The voice was Joe's (he knows how to fly a plane? Wait, if he's flying the plane, how did it get here in the first place?) and everyone followed his announcement except for Aunt Abby who was silenced with laughter. Townsend shook his head but smiled at her, his black wavy hair swaying like in a shampoo advert.

The jet took off and we all relaxed. It was going to be a long journey (or a short one if we broke a few laws) so I settled down and slept, not knowing what would greet me when I wake up.

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><p>The sound of an argument pulled me from my dreamless sleep and I opened my eyes slightly, trying not to look awake. It was mom and Abby. By the looks of things, Townsend was struggling to keep it under control.<p>

"If you didn't want me to tell him, then you shouldn't have told me!" laughed mom, pointing to Townsend, "Anyway, you fell asleep on his shoulder. I have proof."

"I don't like him!" she yelled in embarrassment. I've never seen Aunt Abby like this and it was fun to watch - her green eyes searing holes into mom.

"That's great to hear," said Townsend, "but why did your pupils dilate when you said that?" He smirked and sauntered towards her, holding her by the waist and putting her back to her seat. "That's enough entertainment for Cammie. Isn't that right?"

"Yep!" I replied cheerfully, opening my eyes, "Should I start calling you Uncle Eddie now?" We both glanced over in Abby's direction, waiting for her reaction.

"No way squirt. Never in a million years will you ever say that. Never." she declared, crossing her arms like a seven year old.

"Let me know when you admit to wanting to kiss me. Again." Townsend remarked. Dramatically, he covered his mouth with his hand. "Oops, I revealed your secret. At least I didn't tell them when or where this happened."

Abby blushed madly and moved to sit next to me. "I don't think I can handle sitting next to him for another twenty-seven minutes." she told me, "He's so obnoxious and arrogant."

We were nearly there. I had to take my mind off of things, so I asked, "So when did you two kiss?"

"No comment." Abby responded loudly, earning a laugh from Townsend. She tried her best not to stand up and slap him.

I did get an answer from him though. "Our first mission together. Buenos Aires. It was Joe, Abby and I in a team to stop a major drugs cartel. Joe went undercover and us two were the ones following his inside information. We were almost caught sneaking into their base of operations, but since we were stood in an alleyway-"

"That's enough of the story! She gets it!" Abby squealed, "At least I saved your life doing that."

"I'll finish it when we have the time, Cammie." he smiled, pleased at what he achieved.

Surprisingly, all of my friends slept throughout the whole thing. As we touched down in Virginia once again, they woke up and saw Abby had moved.

"What happened?" mouthed Bex, asking the question the others were thinking.

"Don't even answer, Cameron." she said without seeing Bex, "You're on my territory now."

Joe appeared from the cockpit, saying, "We've reached out destination." Suddenly, a dozen CIA agents stormed into the cabin, two of which were arresting Joe.

"I may have forgotten to tell them that you were coming." mumbled Abby. She cleared her throat and announced, "He's with us, guys! He's not a rogue agent!" They looked at each other and let go of him, apologising for the mishap. "We've just come here to see Matthew Morgan."

They nodded and led us out into the hangar and we followed them down a series of elevators, hallways and two flights of stairs. We ended up in a white room filled with technical machinery and in the centre of it all was one man. Dad. Abby stopped moving when the others carried on. I couldn't help but think how similar their injuries had been - how she took a bullet for Macey less than a year ago. Townsend noticed she wasn't with them and turned back, taking her hand in his and whispering in her ear. The memory of the shooting made her nervous.

"It'll be okay." he said, pulling Abby along without resistance. They were interesting together - their clashing attitudes hidden away to show their true selves - a shy girl and a kind guy. They went to stand on the other side of the bed, joining Bex, Liz, Macey and Joe. I turned back and stood at dad's side with mom, holding my breath as his eyes began to open.


	10. A Bittersweet Ending

**A/N: Last chapter! Quite a long one for me, so that's why it took a few days. It was hard to finish writing this since I've grown to love how they are in my story, but all good things must come to an end some day and that day is now. Read and review! 3**

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><p>"Rachel," he smiled, reaching out to stroke her cheek. She leaned in and kissed him softly (parents kissing, gross), years of waiting finally ending. She moved away and let him speak, "I've waited so long to see you. Nine years without you - you thought I was dead, didn't you?" Mom nodded and bit her lip, emotions flooding through her.<p>

"I never forgot you." she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Dad paused and looked over at me, "Cammie, you made it out alive." I did what any other teenage girl would do in my situation: I hugged him tightly.

"Daddy, you're back." I said into his shoulder, unable to hold back the tears, "I've missed you so much."

"You've grown up a lot since I last saw you," he laughed, "I hope you've been taught well in the clandestine services since I've been gone."

I nodded, "Mr Solomon's been great. Well, until he became a wanted man and got us both caught by the Circle, but you know the end of that story." I babbled, not knowing what I was saying exactly. "Abby's here." I stated obviously.

He looked towards her and frowned. "Abby, you weren't there for me in Rome. Where were you?"

Abby cringed, wanting to hide. "I'm so sorry Matt. I'm so so sorry."

He sighed and winced in pain, the movement irritating the bullet wound. "I could've died out there. I almost did. They captured me, Abby. They did things too excruciatingly painful that I can't describe. For nine year, nine long years."

"That's enough of a guilt trip, Mr Morgan." Townsend interrupted, putting an arm around Abby protectively.

"You must be Agent Edward Townsend, MI6. Before I was taken for, shall we say, intense questioning, people told me a lot about you - the spy too serious for his own good." dad spoke clearly, a smile growing on his lips.

Raising an eyebrow, Townsend was intrigued - his striking blue eyes glistening with interest. "What information were they trying to get from you? And what do you know about me?"

Dad coughed and whispered carefully, "They wanted to find out what I know, that's all I'll say. They want answers and they'll stop at nothing to get them." He stopped and mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, "I know about you from Abby and Joe. Mostly from Abby."

"Matt!" Aunt Abby squeaked, embarrassment breaking her voice, "Why does everyone keep mentioning Buenos Aires? It was one time and we were young!" Her cheeks burned pink as she found Townsend's hand around her waist now.

"That proves my point," said dad, laughing and gesturing towards how close they were together, "and nobody really mentioned Buenos Aires. Now, where's my partner in crime?"

Joe stepped out from behind mom and grinned, quickly hugging him. "I did what I promised I would do. I looked after your girls."

"He looked after Mrs Morgan alright." muttered Bex under her breath. Liz and Macey shared a look and burst into a fit of giggles, earning strange glances from everyone in the room.

"Cammie, so these are your friends?" asked dad, wondering whether or not to classify them as mentally unstable. He didn't ask about the comment and I didn't want to tell him, so it stayed unspoken. I nodded and he tilted his head to the right slightly. "Interesting. Judging by the accent and your tanned skin, you must be Abe's kid. Rebecca Baxter." Her eyes widened when he said her name - surprised at how he knew her already.

"How did you-" she started to say.

He pointed to himself in a Zach way and said, "Spy." He looked at Macey and smirked, "Macey McHenry. Daughter of Senator McHenry." He lowered his voice, saying, "Blood relative of Gillian Gallagher."

"Your dad is an amazing spy." she commented, "It's no wonder why people compare you to him."

"Now for the last of your friends," announced dad with a smile, "Let's see. A laptop by her side, so she must be good at encryption and decryption, slightly smaller than the others. Hmm. Elizabeth Sutton?"

"Wow! It's brilliant how you know me and I'm not even from a spy family!" beamed Liz, excited by the accurate guesses.

"Back to the topic at hand - what were you laughing at?" dad asked curiously, the spy in him wanting answers.

"It's nothing." Joe replied coolly, brushing off the question.

"Anything to do with how my wife is avoiding eye-contact with you?" he pointed out blankly, "What did you do this time, Joe?"

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" he laughed, "I've just been there for her when she was upset by your disappearance. She truly loves you Matt, don't question it."

He thought about it for a moment, figuring out whether to press on or not. "Okay, but if I find out that you've been secretly dating her or something, I will personally hunt you down and throw you off a cliff."

Joe gulped and took a step back, raising his hands in mock surrender, "No need to tell me twice. I learned that the first time we met." Oh great, another backstory I _need_ to hear.

The room went quiet and I asked the one question dad would know the answer to - the one question that ate away at me for months. "What does the Circle want from me? Please, I have to know."

The words barely a whisper, "They want to know who the founders of the Circle were to kill their relatives. That's why they took me and that's why they want you."

"But I don't know anything about it!" I cried - it was true, I didn't even know they existed until last year. How could they believe that I knew whatever they wanted?

He cupped my face in his hands and looked directly at me, smiling a little, "Spying is in your blood, Cam. You do know, you just can't remember it." He kissed my forehead and said something so quiet that only I could hear, "The circus, Cammie, think of the circus."

We stayed in that position for a few short seconds, the faint memories appearing vividly in my mind. I gasped and stepped back - the list on the napkin. The names. The Circle were right - I did know what they needed. "Dad, why did you take the list? Why did tha-"

Before I could finish what I was saying, Joe pulled me away and dropped to the ground, protecting me from danger. He shouted, "Watch out!"

A bullet skimmed overhead, grazing Joe's arm. I stared at the woman in the doorway - Catherine Goode._ Not again_, I thought,_ I've had enough of this_. She held a small gun in her hand, still aimed at the place I was standing. "C'mon Joe, we've had enough of your silly games. Either bring the girl or the man so we can leave."

A pained expression crossed his face for a fraction of a second, but long enough that I could see it. His breath was warm against my ear, the blood from the gunshot trickling down his arm onto me. "Cammie," he murmured, "when I get up and take you away, don't freak out. I've got a plan."

He stood up slowly then grabbed me by the waist, moving closer to Mrs Goode. "Oh, so you're co-operating with us now. Don't be shy Cameron, we just want to find out what's in here." she said, pointing to her head, "After that, you can return home like nothing ever happened." _What's she going to do, wipe my memory or something?_

Joe's grip tightened around me and I kicked the gun out of Mrs Goode's hands. He caught it and trained his sights on her, "How did you even get in here?" he said through gritted teeth, "Who's the mole feeding you information?"

She chuckled to herself, shaking her head. "There are many people in the CIA willing to give me the information I need. You just have to ask nicely whilst holding a gun." Walking towards dad carefully, the gun following her every move. "Shoot me if you want. It won't stop the rest of us from taking one of them away." She stroked his cheek, which made both him and mom freeze, "Did you really believe you'd get away? It was always a battle you couldn't win, Matthew."

He put down the gun (and me), then stepped in front of her. "You've done enough harm to the people in this room. Get out before I have to use my 'training' to deal with you."

"You used to be so loyal to us Joe. What happened?"

"Guilt. Nightmares. Lying to my best friends. I couldn't handle it," he seethed with rage, his emotions spilling over.

Mrs Goode closed the space between them, their surroundings forgotten, the truth slowly appearing, "Come back to us Joe, we need you. We could take over the whole of the Circle if you killed whoever's left running it. Take the girl with you since you care about her so much, I promise I won't kill her after she gives us the list."

Joe opened his mouth to answer, but she suddenly collapsed to the ground - a single bullet tearing through her chest. Liz screamed and started to gag. I quickly scanned the room to see who shot her, but no-one had a gun. Except for me. My hand shook in horror as it dawned on my that I had picked up the gun and shot her subconsciously. The gun clattered to the floor with me following suit. _I did that?_ I thought to myself, _How is that possible?_

CIA agents rushed into the room, hearing the gunshot. They took the unconscious body away and saw the gun by my side. I saw the indecision in their face on whether or not to take me away, but I could faintly hear everyone shouting over my racing heartbeat. From what I can vaguely remember, mom picked me up before I passed out in her arms. 

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><p>"What happened in the infirmary between the times of eleven thirty-seven a.m and twelve twenty-three p.m?" the man asked. It was a familiar - one that I've heard on several occasions. I mean, I wasn't supposed to hear it, but I did.<p>

"Sir, the Circle infiltrated Langley at twelve fifth-teen and proceeded to kidnap my daughter for the second time this week. She shot her with her own gun - a Glock 18 to be precise." another man spoke. It was my dad and he kept me in his lap, smoothing my hair down (I stayed still to listen to the conversation).

"Do you know why she shot her?" the man questioned, impatience rising in his voice.

"Director, you should know the answer to that question. The Circle wants the list of original members to kill them. There must be a splinter team trying to overthrow them." he hinted. There was something else bothering him, but he didn't mention it.

"There's a lot of valuable information in the girl's head, wouldn't you agree?" the Director smiled suspiciously, "Why don't you leave her here at Langley so she'll always be protected?"

He shook his head, saying, "I don't think that's the best idea. She's safe at the Gallagher Academy."

"I don't think you understand," said the Director, pulling out a gun from his inside pocket, "Leave the girl. We need the list."

I stood up, facing the gun. "No. I'm not going with you."

"One of you will leave this room with me or one of you will die."

I turned to dad and he sighed in resignation, a look of defeat passing his face. "Cammie, I can't let you die. I'll have to go." He hugged me tightly and I felt small in his arms. "It's been so long. I'll miss you again." I cried silently into his shirt, the prospect of him leaving breaking my heart once more. "Cam, promise me you'll look after your mother. She's been through so much already."

"I promise daddy," I whispered, my voice faltering, "Promise me you'll come back some day?"

He hesitated and tilted my head up, "I'll try sweetheart, I'll try." He kissed my lightly on the forehead before stepping away, putting on a brave facade.

"Come on Matthew, let's get you back to the... interrogation room." He took out a pair of handcuffs and put them on dad. "It's been nice meeting you in person, Cameron. Too bad the next time will be to dispose of you. That is, of course, if your dad does tell us who we are going to murder." Pushing open the glass door that lead to a balcony, he strolled out. A very familiar helicopter hovered by the railings and he stepped in, taking dad away. "So long, Chameleon!" he shouted over the whir of the blades.

"Tell your mom that I love her." dad mouthed before the doors closed. Through the window, I saw him shed a single tear.

I watched as it disappeared in the distance and trudged out of the room. Mom, Aunt Abby, Joe and Townsend rushed to my side as I shut the door, tears streaming silently down my cheeks. "Where's your dad and the Director?" mom asked, the look of concern on her face upsetting me further.

"He's gone, mom. The Director took him to the Circle. He's gone!" I shouted, not being able to hold in my anger, "It should've been me, not him! It's always my fault!"

"Don't say that Cam. Do not say that. It's never your fault." soothed mom, pulling me into a warm embrace.

"They're going to kill him when they're done with him. I know it. They're going to kill me as well." I hiccuped, "Mom, do you want to know the last thing he said to me?" I looked up as I said that and she nodded, not trusting her own voice. "He said to tell you that he loves you."

We both stood there in the corridor, crying quietly. We knew there was a chance that he'd be taken away again, but it happened too soon. We needed each other now - I would keep my promise and look after mom. I clung onto the slither of hope that dad would keep his promise and return home. Some day he'll come back, even if just for a fleeting moment like today. He promised the same thing nine years ago and he fulfilled it. I just _know_ that he'll do the same this time.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you've enjoyed reading _Capture the __Chameleon_ as much as I have writing it. It's been great to see your response throughout, so I'd love it if you reviewed this as a whole. I'll be starting a new story soon (HINT: Buenos Aires), so if you add me to your favourite authors, you can be notified about it. Or y'know, you don't have to. :P**


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